Metal treating apparatus



N 8, 3 F. c.- BIGGERT, JR, ET AL" 50 METAL TREATING APPARATUS Original Filed May 29, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l f fi vvrifddf ATTORNEYS m 5 M W 28, 1939- F. c. BIGGERT. JR., ET AL 2.181503 METAL TREAT ING APPARATUS Original F iled May 29, 19 36 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3]

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WIT/V5555; IN E T'ORS mzj ATTQRN EY Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,181,503 IIETAL TREATING APPARATUS.

Original application May 29, 1936, Serial No.

Divided and this application November 25, 1938, Serial No. 242,346

1 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating metal with a fluid, and more particularly to the pickling of coils of metal strip. This applicatiorfis a division of our copending application S. N. 82,542, filed May 29, 1936.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide apparatus for treating metal in a bath by which the metal is thoroughly treated in a minimum length of time. Other objects are to provide apparatus for rapidly and readily immersing coils of metal strip in a series of tanks and rotating them therein while the fluid in the tank is circulated between the convolutions of coils.

According to this invention there is provided a plurality of metal-treating tanks for receiving treating-baths and articles to be treated. Each tank is provided with means for circulating the fluid bath therein, and is adapted to /support a portable coil-carrying and rotating device which is also used to pick up and release the coils. When this device is mounted on a tank it is connected with rotating means mounted outside the tank by which the coil supported by the device in the bath is rotated. The metal strip is formed into a loose coil so that its convolutions spread apart,

and the circulating bath in the tank is directed between the spaced convolutions as the coil is rotated so that the bath quickly and efficiently reaches the entire area of the strip.

Apparatus for practic this invention is illustrated in the accompan g drawings in which Fig. l is a side elevation of our metal treating apparatus; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the tanks; and Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the tanks partly broken away to'show it in vertical section. 6

Referring to Fig. ,1 of the drawings, for pickling coils I59 of metal strip indicated more or less diagrammatically in the .drawings, three treating tanks are suflicient, tank I56 containing a pickling bath, tank I51 cold rinse water, and tank I58 h5t rinse water. These tanks are preferably disposed side by side in a straight line with their loading and unloading stations at opposite ends suspended from any suitable overhead traveling member, such as a crane or a monorail conveyor,

to convey them to the opposite end of the apparatus.

As shown in Fig. 3, the carriage preferably comprises a horizontal beam I68 to which are pivoted the upper ends of a pair of depending arms I69 the lower ends of which are bifurcated to form recesses III in which sprockets I12 are rigidly mounted on shafts n3 journaled in the arms. The inner end of each of these shafts supports a stub mandrel I14 that projects into the coil to support it. To grip or release a coil the stub mandrels are moved toward and away from each other in any suitable manner, such as by a toggle mechanism I16 connected to the arms and beam I68 and operated by a rod I11 slidably mounted on top of the beam.

' To rigidly support beam I68 above each tank so that the coil carried thereby will be immersed in the bath in the tank, a framework I18 is constructed above the tank, and a pair of socket members I19 is secured tothe top of this frame- 'work above each tank for snuglyreceiving the ends of the beam. The coilis rotated in the tanks by the stub mandrels which are turned by sprockets I12 driven by endless chains I8I from sprockets I82 keyed on a shaft I83 journaled in bearings I84 projecting downwardly from the supporting beam. One end of this shaft is provided with teeth I86 adapted to be engaged by complementary teeth I81 on the end oi a a clutch sleeve I88 which is splined on the inner end of a drive shaft I89 driven through a speed reduction unit I9I by a motor,l92 mounted outside of the tank. When the coil carriage is lowered into a tank with teeth I86 in line with teeth I81, the clutch sleeve is moved forward to cause the two sets of teeth to register, and the motor is started, whereupon shaft I83, the stub mandrels and the coil are rotated.

The clutch sleeve can be moved into and out 'of operative position by any suitable means, a convenient way of doing this being by means of a piston I 93 connected to the. bottom of the clutch and actuated by fluid pressure in a cylinder I94 mounted in a support I96 below drive shaft I89. Fluid pressure can be admitted to the cylinder in any suitable way, automatically or otherwise. If desired, the weight of the carriage as it is lowered into a tank can be used to set piston I93 in motion, or the same. thing can be accomplished by a photoelectric cell on which shines a beam of light that is broken by the lowered carriage.

Each of the treating tanks is provided with" and the circulating bath is directed into the coil tubular members.

by a pair of upwardly curved tubular members 20l likewise disposed side by side with their outlets adjacent one end of the coil and their inlets receiving the propellers. A steam jet 202 for heating the bath is preferably disposed between the With the use of two propellers and tubes the entire bath throughout the width of a wide tank is set in motion and circulated through a coil in its path.

After a 'coil has been treated in each of the tanks it is set down by the carrier in a drying chamber 203 of any suitable construction, and the stub mandrels are spread apart to release the coil. When the coil is dry it is rolled out onto an inclined table 204 from which it is delivered to an oiler or to a storage point.

Upon being released from the coil, the carrier is transported from the drying chamber back to a point adjacent the loading station where it may be temporarily deposited on a frame 206 while the immediately preceding carrier is picking up a coil at the loading station. It will be understood, of course, that several carriers may be in use at once so that coils will be disposed in all of the tanks and the drier at the same time. One advantage of this apparatus is that it can be disposed in a straight line in a space too narrow to receive the apparatus disclosed and claimed in my copending application.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle and operation of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have. it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise I tom of the tank, rotatable means connected to said mandrel means, means for conveying all of said means to and from said tank, rotating means mounted beside said tank for rotating said rotatable means when the latter is brought into operative engagement therewith, and means for positively circulating said bath through said coil as it is rotated in said tank 3. Metal-treating apparatus comprising a tank for receiving a metal-treating bath, a horizontal beam detachably supported above said tank, a

pair of horizontally spaced arms pivoted at their upper ends to said beam, an inwardly projecting stub mandrel journaled in'the lower end of each arm, said mandrels being adapted to project into and support a coil of metal strip, a horizontal shaft rotatably supported by said beam, driving means for said shaft mounted beside said tank, and means operatively connecting said shaft to said mandrels for rotating said coil.

4. Metal-treating apparatus comprising a tank for-receiving a metal-treating bath, a horizontal beam detachably supported above said tank, a pair of horizontally spaced arms pivoted at their upper ends to said beam, an inwardly projecting stub mandrel journaled in the lower end of each arm, said mandrels being adapted to project into and support a coil of metal strip, a horizontal shaft rotatably supported by said beam, driving means for said shaft mounted beside said tank, means operatively connecting said shaft to said mandrels for rotating said coil, and means for spreading the lower ends of said arms to disengage the mandrels from the coil.

' 5. Metal-treating apparatus comprising a tank for receiving a metal-treating bath, a horizontal beam detachably supported above said tank, a pair of horizontally spaced arms pivoted at their upper ends to said beam, an inwardly projecting stub mandrel journaled in the lower end of each arm, said mandrels being adapted to project into and support a coil of metal strip, a horizontal shaft rotatably supported by said beam, driving means for said shaft mounted beside said tank, means operatively connecting said shaft to said mandrels for rotating said coil, a propeller blade disposed in said bath, means for rotating said blade to circulate the bath in the tank, and a conduit extending from said propeller to a point adjacent one end of said coil for directing said circulating bath through the coil.

6. Metal-treating apparatus comprising a series of tanks for receiving metal-treating baths, means for delivering coils of loosely wound metal strip to one end of said series of tanks, asupporting member adapted to be carried by an overhead carrier, means above each tank for receiving said supporting member, means carried by said member for projecting into the ends of a coil and rotatably supporting it, driving means mounted beside each tank, and means carried by said supporting member for operatively connecting said coil supporting means with said driving means when said supporting member is disposed on said receiving means.

'7. Metal-treating apparatus comprising a series of tanks for receiving metal-treating baths, means for delivering coils of loosely wound metal strip to one end of said series of tanks, a supporting member adapted to be carried by an overhead carrier, means above each tank for receiving said supporting member, a pair of spaced depending arms hingedat their upper ends to said member, a rotatable stub mandrel journaled in the lower end of each arm, means carried by said supporting member for rotating said mandrels, and driving means mounted beside each tank and adapted to be operatively connected to said mandrel-rotating means when said supporting member is placed on said receiving means for rotating said mandrel-rotating means.

FLORENCE C. BIGGERT, JR. CHARLES F. BUENTE. 

